Sheet processing machine

ABSTRACT

Printed sheets are fed into a sheet processing machine where they are separated into partial sheets by being cut longitudinally. The partial sheets are separated laterally from each other by gripper components. Each of the partial sheets can have its leading and trailing ends cut. The cut partial sheets can then be inspected and deposited into a selected one of a plurality of partial sheet stacks.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for transporting sheets and toa sheet processing machine in which sheets are separated into partialsheets. The partial sheets are then separated from each other laterallywith respect to a sheet transport direction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

DE-PS 15 11 067 describes a device for cutting sheets from a web. Here,the web is cut into partial webs, and these partial webs are deflectedinto different levels prior to being transversely cut. No spacing in theaxial direction is provided by this prior art device.

DE 31 15 688 C2 discloses a device for separating usable and wastematerial to be obtained from a web of material. The usable material iscut out of the web by the operation a cutting cylinder. The direction ofthe cut is essentially transversely in relation to the transportdirection.

DE-AS 10 88 798 describes a device for separating a web into partialwebs. The partial webs are spaced apart by means of guide surfaces andare cut into sheets by means of a transverse cutting device. Thesesheets fall onto a stack on a feed table.

DE-PS 1 175 695 discloses a processing cylinder with two grippersystems. These two gripper systems are hingedly connected with eachother and are displaceable, or respectively pivotable, together.

These two gripper systems cannot be moved in relation to each other inthe axial direction.

DE 24 17 614 B2 describes a device for feeding products in connectionwith a web-fed rotary printing press. In this case, products, which aredeposited by paddle wheels and are respectively located next to eachother are conveyed by means of a product carrier.

In the course of the conveyance of the products on the product carrier,a gripper acts on respective lateral edges of the products located nextto each other and moves the products transversely away from each otherfor creating a space.

The object of the invention is based on creating a method fortransporting sheets, and a sheet processing machine.

In accordance with the invention, this object is attained by means ofthe features of the characterizing portions of claims 1, 4, and 5.

The advantages which can be achieved by means of the invention lie inparticular in that transverse cutting from the respectively located nextto each other, are conveyed by means of a product carrier.

In the course of the conveyance of the products on the product carrier,a gripper acts on respective lateral edges of the products located nextto each other and moves the products transversely away from each otherthereby creating a space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a method fortransporting sheets, and a sheet processing machine.

In accordance with the present invention, this object is attained byseparating each of a plurality of sheets into partial sheets by using atleast one longitudinal cut. The partial sheets are moved apart from eachother in the processing machine in a direction transverse to thedirection of sheet travel. At least one chain gripper system carries atleast two holding systems which are separable laterally and which caneach deposit a partial sheet on a selected one of a plurality of sheetstacks. The partial sheets can have been inspected after having beencut.

The advantages which can be achieved by means of the present inventionlie, in particular, in that transverse cutting from the start to the endof a sheet takes place without manual intervention in a sheet processingmachine. It is possible, by means of integrated inspection devices, tocontrol the print quality itself, as well as to control the cutregistrations in the sheet processing machine. In this way, it ispossible to simultaneously control the fronts and backs of the sheet,which were printed, for example, on the obverse and reverse sides of thesheet.

A simple cut registration adjustment is possible because of thecooperative operation of the transverse cutting devices with a chainconveyor. This is advantageously performed by means of aposition-controlled electric motor driving a cutting cylinder.

A longitudinal cutting device is assigned to a processing cylinder ofthe sheet processing machine, so that the sheet is cut "in-line" intotwo or more partial sheets. These sheets can be deposited on stacks,which can be selected by means of the inspection device. In this manner,sorted stacks with "good" and with waste sheets are formed. This has theadvantage that, in case of a defective partial sheet the entire sheet,is not wasted.

Furthermore, the partial sheets located next to each other do notinterfere with each other during the continued transport, orrespectively during processing, in particular during inspection of thepartial sheets.

By means of this sheet processing machine, all sides of a sheet are cutand the latter is cut into partial sheets. All cuts made, as well as theobverse and reverse printing, are controlled by means of inspectiondevices. All of the cut partial sheets are deposited on selectablestacks.

This sheet processing machine performs a plurality of processing steps"in-line", which leads to an increase in production and also to areduction of manual labor. Moreover, the quality of the products made inthis way is increased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The sheet processing machine in accordance with the present invention isrepresented in the drawings and will be described in greater detail inwhat follows.

Shown are in:

FIG. 1, a schematic lateral view of a sheet processing machine;

FIG. 2, a schematic representation of the processing steps in the sheetprocessing machine;

FIG. 3, a schematic view from above on a stack of a delivery device ofthe sheet processing machine;

FIG. 4, an enlarged schematic lateral view of a processing cylinder ofthe sheet processing machine in accordance with FIG. 1; and in

FIG. 5, an enlarged schematic view from above on the processing cylinderof the sheet processing machine in accordance with FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A sheet processing machine 1, for the transverse and longitudinalcutting of sheets 2, in accordance with the present invention is shownin FIG. 1, and has integrated inspection devices 3, 4, 6. The sheetspreferably are printed paper sheets, for example securities. This sheetprocessing machine 1 is constructed as will be described in whatfollows.

A feeder 7 essentially has a first stack 8, a sheet separating device 9and a delivery table 11. This feeder 7 is followed by an installation 12which is designed as a swing feeder. A first chain conveyor 13 workstogether with this swing installation 12. This chain conveyor 13 has apair of revolving chains 14, to which axially extending chain grippersystems 16 have been attached. The chains 14 are reversed by a firstchain wheel carried on a first chain wheel shaft 17, and by a secondchain wheel carried on a second chain wheel shaft 18. The chains 14extend at least partially along a straight line between the first, 17,and second chain wheel shaft 18. Viewed in the transport direction T,the first inspection device 3 is arranged downstream of or after thefirst chain wheel shaft 17. This first inspection device 3 has a suctionbox 19, whose work surface facing the chain gripper system 16 is made atleast partially transparent. Illumination installations, notspecifically represented, are arranged under this transparent worksurface.

A first transverse cutting device 21 is connected downstream of thissuction box 19 of the first inspection device 3. The first transversecutting device 21 has a rotating cutting cylinder 22 and a stationaryopposed cutter 24 fastened on a cross bar 23. The cutting cylinder 22 isprovided with at least one axially extending groove, into which apassing chain gripper system 16 can descend. A width of the groove inthe circumferential direction of the cutting cylinder 22 is made largerthan a width that is required to receive the chain conveyor 16. Thecooparating chain gripper systems 16 and the cutting cylinder 22 can bephase-shifted in respect to each other for adjusting the cutregistration. In the sheet processing machine in accordance with the,after present invention, rotating arms are provided on both sides of thecutting cylinder 22, between which an axially extending cross bar isarranged to receive a cutter 26.

The cutting cylinder 22 has a drive, whose phase can be changed inrespect to the chain conveyor 13. In the present invention, this drive,is advantageously embodied as a separate, position-controlled electricmotor.

The stationary opposed cutter 24 is arranged in a slightly obliquedirection in respect to the axis of rotation of the cutting cylinder 22,i.e. the opposed cutter forms an opening angle ∝ with the transportdirection T, which is not equal to 90°, but is, for example 89°. Fromthis, an angle of inclination of the opposed cutter 24 of, for example,1° in respect to the axis of rotation of the cutting cylinder 22results. The opposed cutter 24 is also slightly rotated around itslongitudinal axis, i.e. the opposed cutter 24 has a slight twist. Thisinsures that the first transverse cutting device 21 will make a cut inthe moving sheet which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction ofthe sheet.

The electric drive mechanism of the cutting cylinder 22 follows thespeed of the chain conveyor 13 at an identical circumferential speed.Because of the twist of the cutter 24 and the superimposed conveyingspeed, an exactly right-angled cut of the sheet 2 is created in the endof the sheet 2 as the sheet 2 passes through the first transversecutting device 21.

The axially extending cutter 26, which is carried by the cuttingcylinder 22, is also slightly inclined or angled with respect to theaxis of rotation of the cutting cylinder 22 and also has a twist in itslongitudinal direction. The cutter 26 of the cutting cylinder 22 and theopposed cutter 24 are matched to each other.

A rotating opposed cylinder which, for example, has an opposed cutter 24for performing a scissors cut, or an opposed strip, is also possible inplace of the stationary opposed cutter 24. It is also possible to designthe cutter 26 and the opposed cutter 24 parallel in relation to the axisof rotation of the cutting cylinder 22 and without a twist. The cuttingcylinder 22, or respectively the opposed cylinder, can also have severalcutters 26.

A second inspection device 4 is installed downstream of this firsttransverse cutting device 21 in the area of the chain conveyor 13. Thissecond inspection device 4 essentially consists of a sensor 27,illumination devices 30 and a suction box 35.

A sheet turning device 28 follows the chain conveyor 13. In the presentinvention, this sheet turning device 28 essentially consists of astorage drum 29 and a turning drum 31. The storage drum 29 has a"double" circumference and is therefore equipped with two controllablegripper systems 32, which are arranged offset by 180° in respect to eachother, and two oppositely located suction systems 33. A distance in thecircumferential direction of the sheet storage drum 29 between thegripper systems 32 and the suction systems 33 can be adjusted to thelength of the sheets to be conveyed. The suction systems 33 are movableboth in the circumferential direction and also in the axial direction ofthe sheet storage drum 29.

The turning drum 31 has two controllable gripper systems 34, 36, whichare placed side-by-side and which are pivotably arranged around theirlongitudinal axis.

The turning drum 31 and the storage drum 29 can be phase-shifted inrespect to each other.

A cylinder 37, for example a processing cylinder 37, and a cooperatinglongitudinal cutting device 38, are situated downstream of the turningdevice 28. This processing cylinder 37 is seen most clearly in FIGS. 4has, for example, at least twice the circumference of the taming drum51, and carries four holding systems 39, 41, 42, 43, which are designedas gripper systems 39, 41, 42, 43 and which each are controllableindependently of each other. These holding systems 39, 41, 42, 43 canalso be embodied as suction devices. Two of these gripper systems 39,41, or respectively 42, 43 are respectively located in a cylinder grooveapproximately axis-symmetrical next to each other in the axial directionin relation to a center of the processing cylinder 37, and aredisplaceable in relation to each other in the axial direction. In thepresent invention, one of the gripper systems 39, or respectively 42,located axially next to each other, is arranged fixed in the axialdirection, and the second gripper system 41, or respectively 43 of eachpair of gripper systems 39, 41 or 42, 43, is displaceable in relation tothe first gripper system 39, or respectively 42, for example by means ofa cam 40 and cam rollers 45. However, both gripper systems 39, 41, orrespectively 42, 43, can be displaceable. The second pair of thesegripper systems 42, 43 is located opposite the first pair of two grippersystems 39, 41 designed in this way and is offset by 180°.

The longitudinal cutting device 38 which is also seen most clearly inFIG. 4 and which has a plurality of cutter wheels 44, and which isassigned to the processing cylinder 37, is placed downstream, in thesheet transport direction T, shortly after the turning drum 31. In thepresent invention, the longitudinal cutting device 38 has an axiallyextending cross bar 46, on which three cutter wheels are arranged, eachof which can be independently actuated and axially displaced.

A second chain conveyor 47 with two rotating chains 48 is arranged afterthe processing cylinder 37. A plurality of chain gripper systems 49 arearranged on these chains 48. These chain gripper systems 49 each consistof two chain gripper assemblies, which are placed next to each other inthe axial direction, are approximately symmetrically arranged inrelation to the machine center and can be operated independently of eachother. In place of the processing cylinder 37, the second chain conveyor47 can also have chain gripper systems which can be moved in relation toeach other in the axial direction.

It is also possible that more than two gripper systems 39, 41, orrespectively 42, 43, i.e. any arbitrary number, are displaceable on theprocessing cylinder 37. In case of three gripper system sets in whichthe gripper systems are arranged axially next to each other, the grippersystem arranged in the center of each of the three gripper system sets,for example, could be fixed in place in the axial direction, and the twoouter gripper systems in each such three gripper system set could bedesigned so that they can be shifted away from the center system.

The chains 48 are reversed by a first chain wheel shaft 51 and a secondchain wheel shaft 52. A median line, constituted by the chain wheelshaft 51 and the processing cylinder 37, forms an opening angle β ofless than 180°, for example 155°, with a median line constituted by theprocessing cylinder 36 and the longitudinal cutter wheels 44.

Downstream of the first chain wheel shaft 51 of the second chainconveyor 47, a suction box 56 is arranged in the second chain conveyor47 underneath the chain 48. A second transverse cutting device 57follows this suction box 56, which is constructed in a matter identicalwith the first transverse cutting device 21. The first and secondtransverse cutting devices 21, 57, respectively are used for trimmingthe ends 71, 72 of the sheets 2, 82, 83, shown in FIG. 2. The thirdinspection device 6 with a sensor 58, illumination devices 59 and asuction box 61, is connected downstream of this second transversecutting device 57.

A cut sheet feeder 62 in the area of the chain conveyor 47 follows thethird inspection device. This cut sheet feeder 62 has six stacks 63, 64,66 to 69, respectively two of which are arranged in pairs next to eachother as shown in FIG. 3. The resulting three pairs of stacks 63, 64, orrespectively 66, 67, or respectively 68, 69, are arranged behind eachother. The stacks 63, 64, or respectively 66, 67, of the first two pairsof stacks respectively have common lifting devices, so that respectivelyone pair of stacks can be raised and lowered together. Separate liftingdevices have been provided for the two stacks 68, 69 located next toeach other, so that the two stacks 68, 69 can be raised and loweredindependently.

Gripper systems, or respectively chain gripper systems are understood tobe a plurality of grippers, which are arranged on a shaft which can bepivoted around a longitudinal axis.

The functioning of the sheet processing machine 1 in accordance with thepresent invention is as follows:

A sheet 2, in particular a sheet of paper printed on the obverse andreverse sides, is fed from a first stack 8 to the delivery table 11 bythe sheet separating device 9. The sheet 2 is grasped from this deliverytable 11 by the swing feeder installation 12 and is passed over to achain gripper system 16 in the area of the first chain wheel shaft 17 ofthe first chain conveyor 13. The chain gripper system 16 conveys thesheet 2 along the "straight" portion of the chain conveyor 13 to thefirst inspection device 3. The sheet 2 is checked, in segments, fordamage, such as, for example tears and holes, by means of the firstinspection device 3. The water mark of the sheet 2 is also inspected bythe use of back lighting. In the course of this conveyance the sheet 2is guided, by the suction box 19, to which a vacuum has been applied, ofthe first inspection device 3.

The chain gripper system 16 conveys the sheet 2 through the firsttransverse cutting device 21 to the second inspection device 4. There,the sheet 2 is aspirated by the suction box 35 of the second inspectiondevice 4 in the area of the front of the sheet 2. A trailing end 72 ofthe sheet 2 is still in the transverse cutting device 21, where a narrowstrip 73, which extends in the axial direction of the chain grippersystem 16, is cut off the trailing end 72 of that sheet 2. In this case,the conveying speed of the chain conveyor 13 and the circumferentialspeed of the cutter 26 are matched to each other, so that the trailingend 72 of the sheet 2 is trimmed at right angles in respect to thetransport direction T all as depicted in FIG. 2.

This sheet 2 having a first cut 74 is now inspected in the secondinspection device 4. In the inspection process, a front side or obverseside of the sheet 2, and a fresh edge of the sheet 2 or cut registrationresulting from the trimmed end 72 are inspected.

Thereafter, the chain gripper system 16 passes the front end 71 of thissheet 2 on to a gripper system of the storage drum 29. This storage drum29 conveys the sheet 2 in the direction toward the turning drum 31. Whenthe front end 72 of this sheet now reaches the area of the suctionsystems 33 of the storage drum, the latter aspirates the now trimmedtrailing end 72. Subsequently, the suction systems 33 of the storagedrum 29 move in an approximate arrow shape away from the center of thestorage drum 29 and in this way tense the sheet 2 in the circumferentialdirection as well as in the direction toward lateral edges of the sheet2.

The phase shift between the turning drum 31 and the storage drum 29 isset to the length of the sheets 2 to be processed. The storage drum 29conveys the front end 71 of the sheet 2 through the gap between theturning, 31 drum and storage drum 29 until the suction systems 33 reachthis gap. The trimmed end 72 of the sheet 2 is grasped by the firstgripper system 34 of the turning drum 31 and is released from thesuction system 33 by turning off the vacuum. Thereafter both grippersystems 34, 36 of the turning drum 31 are pivoted against each other,and the trimmed end 72 of sheet 2 is passed from the first grippersystem 34 to the second gripper system 36. In their continued course thegripper systems 34, 36 pivot back into their initial position.

The trimmed end 72 is now grasped by the gripper system 36 so that itleads, and the untrimmed front end 71 trails.

The sheet 2 is passed on by the turning drum 31 to a pair of grippersystems 39, 41, or respectively 42, 43 of the processing cylinder 37. Onthe processing cylinder 37, the sheet 2 is provided with three cuts 76,77, 78 in the longitudinal direction--i.e. in the transport directionT--. Narrow strips 79, 81 are cut off the two longitudinal sides of thesheet 2 by the second and third cut 76, 77. These cuts 76, 77, 78 andstrips 79, 81 can be seen in FIG. 2.

The gripper division or size of the gripper systems 39, 41, 42, 43 ofthe processing cylinder 37, and the width, as well as the position, ofthe sheet 2, are matched to each other in such a way that the twocut-off strips 79, 81 are not grasped by the grippers.

The fourth cut 78 separates the sheet 2 in the center into two partialsheets 82, 83. Here, too, there is no gripper in the area of the cut 78.

When these three longitudinal cuts 76, 77, 78 are completely performed,also at the maximum length of the sheet 2, the two partial sheets 82, 83are moved apart in the axial direction. To this end, in the presentinvention a gripper system 41, or respectively 43, or 39, orrespectively 42, performs a lifting motion in the axial direction bymeans of a cam roller 45 working together with a cam disk 40, as shownin FIG. 5. Only after these two partial sheets 82, 83 have been movedaway from each other are these two partial sheets 82, 83 passed on to achain gripper system 49 of the second chain conveyor 47 in the area ofthe first chain wheel shaft 51. The gripper system 41, or respectively43, of the processing cylinder 37 is moved back into its initialposition before the next sheet 2 is taken over.

The spaced-apart partial sheets 82, 83 are conveyed on in a commonconveying direction, or respectively plane.

The two partial sheets 82, 83 are conducted to the second transversecutting device 57 by this chain gripper system 49. To steady the sheet2, it is aspirated along the suction box 56 which is connected upstreamof the second transverse cutting device 57. The previously trimmed end72 of the partial sheets 82, 83 in the chain gripper system 49 isalready passed over the suction box 61 of the third inspection device 6.From the untrimmed initial front 71 of the sheet 2, i.e. of the twopulled-apart partial sheets 82, 83, which now trails, a strip 86 isaxially cut off at right angles in respect to the transport direction Tby means of a fifth cut 84. The sheet 2 has now been trimmed on allsides and has been separated into two partial sheets 82, 83.

A back (or reverse side) of the sheet 2, i.e. the backs of the twopartial sheets 82, 83, together with the edges trimmed in thelongitudinal direction, and the now trailing front 71 of the sheets 2,i.e. the trailing ends of the partial sheets 82, 83 trimmed in the axialdirection, are checked by the third inspection device 6.

The inspection devices 4, 6 check the cut registration of the sheets 2,82, 83, i.e. the position of at least one trimmed edge, preferably ofall trimmed edges of the sheets 2, 82, 83 in relation to a referencemarker, for example within a printed image. Preferably the entiresheets, including the entire printed image, are checked.

The chain conveyor 47 conveys the partial sheets 82, 83, which have beentrimmed on all sides and checked on front and back, from the thirdinspection device 6 to selected ones of the six stacks 63, 64, 66 to 69of the feeder 62. There, the partial sheets 82, 83 can be selectivelydeposited on one of the six stacks 63, 64, 66 to 69. In this connection,the first four stacks 63, 64, 66, 67 preferably receive so-called "good"sheets, and the two last stacks 67, 68, which are arranged next to eachother, receive waste sheets.

In place of sheets 2, 82, 83, it is also possible, for example, to trimor cut printed webs, i.e. printed materials, and to subsequently checkthem by means of one or several inspection devices 3, 4, 6. In thiscase, the cutting devices 1, 38, 57 can be arranged, for example, in thearea of a folding mechanisms of a web-fed rotary printing press.

There, a web is cut, for example in the longitudinal direction, intoseveral partial webs, and is subsequently cut into signatures in thetransverse direction. In this case, the cut registration can be checkedafter each step, or after the web has been cut completely intosignatures.

The inspection devices 3, 4, 6 preferably contain one or several CCDarea cameras, which check the sheet as a whole. While a preferredembodiment of a sheet processing machine in accordance with the presentinvention has been set forth fully and completely hereinabove, it willbe apparent to one of skill in the art that a number of changes in, forexample, the type of printing press used with the sheet processingmachine, the apparatus used to deliver and remove the sheet stacks andthe like could be made without departing from the true spirit and scopeof the present invention which is accordingly to be limited only by thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for processing sheetsincluding:providing a sheet processing machine; delivering a pluralityof printed sheets to said sheet processing machine; providing at leastone longitudinal sheet cutting device in said sheet processing machine;delivering said sheets to said at least one longitudinal sheet cuttingdevice; cutting each of said sheets longitudinally in said at least onelongitudinal sheet cutting device to form partial sheets; providing apartial sheet lateral separating device after, in a sheet transportdirection, said at least one longitudinal sheet cutting device;separating said partial sheets from each other laterally with respect tosaid sheet transport direction in said sheet processing machine in saidpartial sheet lateral separating device; providing a partial sheetinspection device in said sheet processing machine after, in said sheettransport direction, said partial sheet lateral separating device;providing a plurality of partial sheet receiving stacks in said sheetprocessing machine; providing a partial sheet conveyor extending betweensaid partial sheet lateral separating device and said plurality ofpartial sheet receiving stacks; providing a plurality of independentlyoperable partial sheet grippers in said partial sheet conveyor; anddepositing each one of said partial sheets independently to a selectedone of said plurality of partial sheet receiving stacks by operatingeach of said independently operable partial sheet grippers in responseto said partial sheet inspection device.
 2. The method of claim 1further including arranging said plurality of partial sheets receivingstacks one behind the other in said sheet transport direction.
 3. Amethod for processing printed material including:providing a supply ofprinted materials to be processed; directing said printed materials to aprocessing device; providing a plurality of printed material trimmingdevices; arranging said plurality of printed material trimming devicessequently in a direction of travel of said printed materials throughsaid processing device; locating a printed material inspection devicedownstream, in said direction of travel of said printed materials, of atleast one of said sequently arranged printed material trimming devices;performing a plurality of trimming operations on each of said pluralityof printed materials in said plurality of printed material trimmingdevices; and checking a cut registration of each of said trimmed printedmaterials from said plurality of printed material trimming devices insaid inspection device.